12 research outputs found
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Mobilizing an action research programme in a live construction project setting
Building on previous work addressing Action Research (AR) in the construction management field, this paper examines the application of AR methods and techniques on a project pioneering a new form of project insurance: IPI (Integrated Project Insurance). The practicalities of mobilizing a sustained AR programme on a live construction project are explored as the relationship between innovation (IPI), professional practice and academic research enquiry are juxtaposed. The methodological challenges and perceived values of AR are re-evaluated in the light of practitioner opinion and industry desire to learn and improve practices across the sector. The empirical insights facilitate a re-assessment of AR in a construction project context in 4 distinct ways: the nature of the AR learning loop is clarified for a construction project context; the role of project participants in the AR process are examined; the workings of AR “interventions” are explored and the rationale and philosophical assumptions underlying an AR programme in a construction management domain are re-assessed. The informative insights will assist researchers considering an AR programme whilst the supportive recognition of professionals highlights how AR is a potentially valuable approach for industry and academia to work together to create knowledge and refine practice co-operatively
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Mobilizing BIM in a collaborative project environment
This paper reports on the application of BIM methods an innovative project in the UK that is pioneering a new form of project insurance (Integrated Project Insurance) that joins project partners together as a virtual company. The paper examines the processes put in place to optimize BIM usage whilst reviewing the problems and issues encountered; the observations of a researcher being combined with the reflections of the BIM Information Manager. It is noted that mobilizing a comprehensive BIM-centric system is a complex and difficult undertaking, with new roles and responsibilities needing to be created, that put extra pressures on project partners. The positive results of using BIM in a collaborative environment are noted as the findings suggest inclusive contractual arrangements facilitate enhanced BIM use. The insights inform understanding of mobilizing BIM in a collaborative project environment as it is argued that only a fully collaborative project environment can realise the full benefits of BIM
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Re-thinking stakeholder management in construction: theory & research
From its roots in strategic management theory, stakeholder management has been adopted by the construction management academic community and applied as a valid paradigm
around which research work has been generated aiming to improve project effi ciencies and effectiveness. However, academics have argued that stakeholder management should move away from purely theoretical discussions and engage more with the realities of construction project work. This paper re-appraises the stakeholder management concept for the construction domain by re-thinking some of the fundamental principles and ideals present within the more general stakeholder theory literature. It engages with issues which researchers have arguably failed to acknowledge and calls for a re-evaluation of construction
stakeholder management research by presenting a review around four distinctive themes: the moral obligations of engaging with stakeholders against the business and efficiency driven imperatives of construction organisations; the contrast between theoretical abstractions
and empirically grounded research; the tensions between theoretical convergence versus calls for multiple and divergent perspectives on stakeholder management and the
practicalities of conducting stakeholder management in the construction domain. Such a critical re-appraisal of stakeholder management thinking both generates new lines of
enquiry and promises to help inform and shape current and future industry practice
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Understanding stakeholder requirements on an NHS hospital project: application of semiotics-rooted theories.
Hospitals represent complex and difficult contexts for AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) professionals to engage with due to their functional complexity and
diversity of stakeholder interests (i.e. patient, visitor, medical specialist). Hospital designers need to take note of changing NHS policy contexts (e.g. the possible
empowerment of general practitioners to shape services), technological advances in medical equipment design and the potential health needs of future generations. It is
imperative for hospital designers and architects to align their processes and methodologies (e.g. briefing and requirements capture) to the needs and desires of
their clients so that a medical facility design is produced which is truly aligned to the requirements of the hospital stakeholders. Semiotics, the “study” or “discipline” of
signs aims to investigate the nature of signs (their inception, representation and meaning), whilst semiotics-rooted theories are concerned with investigating how
meaning and understanding is mobilized between persons and between organisations. This paper details a semiotics-rooted research approach for investigating the interactions between hospital designers and stakeholders on a forthcoming NHS hospital project in the UK. A semiotics grounded study will potentially provide a deeper understanding of how meaning and understanding is established between hospital project stakeholders and construction professionals
The strategic process in local government A discussion document and an extended biography
SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:9351.0372(003/96) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
Bioactive Coatings for Orthopaedic Implants—Recent Trends in Development of Implant Coatings
Joint replacement is a major orthopaedic procedure used to treat joint osteoarthritis. Aseptic loosening and infection are the two most significant causes of prosthetic implant failure. The ideal implant should be able to promote osteointegration, deter bacterial adhesion and minimize prosthetic infection. Recent developments in material science and cell biology have seen the development of new orthopaedic implant coatings to address these issues. Coatings consisting of bioceramics, extracellular matrix proteins, biological peptides or growth factors impart bioactivity and biocompatibility to the metallic surface of conventional orthopaedic prosthesis that promote bone ingrowth and differentiation of stem cells into osteoblasts leading to enhanced osteointegration of the implant. Furthermore, coatings such as silver, nitric oxide, antibiotics, antiseptics and antimicrobial peptides with anti-microbial properties have also been developed, which show promise in reducing bacterial adhesion and prosthetic infections. This review summarizes some of the recent developments in coatings for orthopaedic implants